Printer&#39;s stick.



No. 656,109. Patented Aug. l4, I900. T. GRIFFIN.

PRINTERS STICK.

(Application filed Nov. 10, 1899.)

(No Model.)

THOMAS GRIFFIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PRINTERS STICK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 656,109, dated August 14, 1900. Application filed November 10, 1899. Serial No. 786,457. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THOMAS GRIFFIN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printers Sticks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a stick or device used by printers or compositors in setting type; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

One object of my invention is to provide a printers or composing stick which shall be simple and accurate in operation, inexpensive in construction, strong and serviceable in all of its parts, and capable of being readily understood and operated.

Another object of the invention is to so construct parts of the stick that the sliding holder used for varying and regulating the lengths of the lines of type, as well as holding the type in position, cannot be removed from the tray or receptacle while a full line remains therein, thus preventing accidental pieing of the type.

Still another object is to furnish means whereby the sliding holder may be moved in one direction with comparative ease, yet will clamp the side of the tray sufficiently to hold it in position thereon, so that it can be set or fixed at the desired point.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of the stick, showing the parts in position ready for use. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the sliding holder detached, and Fig '5 is an enlarged fragmental View of a portion of the tray and a part of the sliding holder.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

A represents the tray or receptacle for the thereof.

type, which may be made of any suitable size and material, but preferably of metal and substantially rectangular in shape, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This tray comprises a bottom or base a, provided with a side piece a and an end piece (1 which may be formed integral therewith or of separate pieces secured thereto in any suitable manner. Secured to the outer surface of the side piece a is a strip or piece B, which is provided in its upper edge with a series of teeth I), the edges of which, adjacent to the end piece ailare slightlyundercut, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The outer surface of the strip 13 is preferably provided with a graduate scale and numerals indicating nonpariel measurement.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the strip or piece B extends from the lower edge of the side piece a upwardly to about its middle, thus leaving a portion of the side piece a uncovered and unobstructed, on which the clamping portion of the sliding holder 0 may operate.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, the sliding holder C forms two sides of a right angle, and when placed in position on the tray one side thereof will be parallel with the end of the tray or at a right angle to the side Secured to the upper surface of the holder C is a plate or piece C, the side of which is bent inwardly and then downwardly, thus forming a bead c, as well as a springclamp. The lower edge of the plate Cis provided with teeth 0, preferably of a size and pitch to correspond with the teeth of the plate or piece B, located on the side of the tray. In the drawings I have shown the piece C as extending over the entire upper surface of the holder C and as being a separate piece therefrom and secured thereto by means of screws; but I do not desire to limit myself to the manner of securing said piece to the holder or to the size of said piece, as I may secure it to the side portion only of the holder or may make. it integral therewith without departing from the spirit of my invention.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be seen and clearly understood that by placing the holder C on the tray, so that the side a of the tray will lie between the downturned portion of the plate or piece 0' and the side portion of the holder, said holder may he slid toward the end piece a of the tray until the proper position is reached, when by pressing down on the holder the teeth thereof will engage those of the plate B, and thus be prevented from movement in the opposite direction. By forming the edges of the teeth I) on the plate B with slight undercuts orinclinations from the end a of the tray, as above stated, and providing the teeth on the plate 0 with correspondingly-inclined edges or inclinations it is evident that the holder cannot be lifted from the tray without a slight movement toward the end a and when a full line of type is in position on the tray such movement is impossible.

By bending the plate 0, as shown at c, it is apparent that a clamp is thereby provided, as well as a bead or outward projection, against which the thumb may rest when it is desired to raise the teeth of the holder out of engagement with the teeth of the tray.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with the tray A, having the side and end pieces a and a respectively, of the plate or piece 13, secured to the side of the tray, and having a series of teeth in its upper edge, the edges of said teeth adjacent to the end piece a being slightly undercut, the holder 0, provided with a downturned portion to form a clamp, the lower edge of said downturned portion being provided with teeth to engage those of the tray, substantially as described.

THOMAS GRIFFIN.

lVitnesses:

CHAS. O. TILLMAN, A. GUSTAFSON. 

